Visions 5
by JediMagnet09
Summary: part of the Visions series! Sam has another vision that leads them to the demon and a battle that could possibly prove fatal for the Winchester brothers.
1. Chapter 1

Well, here's the next story! I've planned at least one more. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy it, and PLEASE review! :)

* * *

Sam flipped another page, frowning as he found more of the same crap he had been looking at for hours now. He slammed the book shut with a growl of frustration, hands coming up to rub at his throbbing temples. He had a nasty headache, probably from looking at the small Latin print for so long. He had been trying to find information about others like him, if they had ever existed and, if they had, how they learned to master their abilities. So far, he had found nothing.

"Oh, S-s-s-a-a-a-a-a-a-ammmmmmmy-y-y-y-y-y-y!" Dean called loudly in a sing-song tone, walking into the kitchen.

Sam winced and tensed, his fingers digging into his temples, trying to quell the sudden flare in pain Dean's call caused.

Dean immediately paused, concern crossing his features. "Sam?" his voice was soft now, barely audible.

Sam just shook his head, folding in on himself as the pain flared again, then again, finally pulling a choked, sobbing cry from him. He would have slid out of the chair, if not for strong, solid arms that wrapped around him. He was only dimly aware of Dean pulling him into his lap, where he was sitting on the floor.

Dean was holding him gently but tightly, unsure of what to expect. So far, the symptoms had gotten worse every time. He wasn't sure it _could _get any worse than it had been.

He had thought too soon.

Sam suddenly jerked, his lips opening in a soundless scream, unable to get enough breath to make a sound, the pain blinding, overwhelming. His whole body rigid, strained in Dean's arms, his fingernails digging into his own palms hard enough to draw blood. Tears ran freely down his face, his eyes screwed shut tightly.

This cycle of pain and strained silence lasted what felt like an eternity before finally, _finally_, Sam stiffened even further, his breath cutting off completely.

_Come on, Sam. Come on. _"It's almost over, kiddo. It's almost over." Dean brushed his fingers through Sam's hair soothingly, trying not to count the seconds till Sam started breathing again.

Sam went limp with a small sigh, his skin ghost white and dripping sweat, his eyes softly closed, mouth slack, no strength in his limbs. His chest was almost still, taking only shallow breaths.

"Sammy?" Dean's voice was almost inaudible, not wanting to aggravate the headache Sam was sure to have.

A soft moan answered his call, Sam stirring a little. His eyes opened slowly, glazed over and exhaustion shining clearly from them. Dean knew Sam wouldn't be able to tell him about the vision now. Running a gentle hand through Sam's hair, Dean whispered softly, "It's okay, Sammy. It's over. Sleep. I'll watch your back, baby brother. Relax."

Sam nodded slightly, his eyes already sliding closed.

The second Sam's breathing slowed, Dean let out a sigh of both relief and sadness. _Dang, Sam. This is getting really bad. What now? _

…_..._

Sam stirred three hours later. Dean had managed to move him to the couch and did his best to keep his little brother comfortable while he recovered. He had had way too much time to contemplate what Sam had seen and what it might mean for them, pacing back and forth in front of the couch, unwilling to leave his brother's side.

Grateful that the wait was finally over, Dean eased himself down on the couch next to Sam, watching mostly patiently as Sam began to wake, his eyes fluttering open. For a moment, there was confusion visible in his face as he oriented himself to his surroundings and realized who was sitting right next to him.

"Hey." he finally greeted, his voice slightly hoarse from the earlier strain.

"Hey, kiddo. How ya feeling? You up to telling me what you saw?"

Sam nodded, struggling for a moment to push himself up, before reluctantly accepting Dean's help. "I'm fine. My head hurts."

_I could have guessed that, buddy._

"As for what I saw..." Sam's already pale complexion paled further, giving him a ghostly look that made Dean extremely uneasy, churning a nasty feeling in his gut.

"It's okay, Sammy. If you're not ready to tell me, you don't have to." he hastened to reassure.

Sam shook his head. "This really can't wait." he sighed, then took a deep breath, and continued. "I saw the demon. You know. The one that-" Sam cut off, seeing the sudden understanding in Dean's eyes. "He's nearby. About 100 miles away in this old warehouse. I could probably take us right to it. I'm not sure why he's there, but he is."

Sam hesitantly looked up at his big brother, wondering what he was thinking. There was a thoughtful expression on his face.

"We could go right now. Finish this once and for all." Dean's voice was soft, almost as if the thought was just occurring to him and he hadn't meant to say it out loud.

The moment seemed frozen in time, Dean looking at Sam, Sam trying to gauge Dean's emotions. _Are we ready for this? Is this really it? Can we finally avenge mom? _

"Let's call dad. Then we can go."

…...

They hadn't been able to reach their father. After leaving several days before, John had been dumped waist deep in a hunt that had then taken all of his attention. He had, surprisingly, taken the time to warn them that he would more likely than not be out of touch for days, but to call if there was an emergency.

They left a note for Bobby, who had also left for a hunt nearby that couldn't be ignored, on the table, explaining where they were and what Sam had seen.

They were prepped and in the Impala five minutes later.

A strange drive seemed to be pushing them on, overtaking them. A nervous energy filled them both, seeming to almost hum in the small space between them. This was it. After years and years of searching and struggling, they had finally pinpointed the demon's location. They were going to finish it tonight.

Or die trying.

…...

"Alright. I think we should split up. He doesn't know we're coming, we have the element of surprise. I'll go in the front door, give me a minute head start, then follow."

Dean had fallen into hunter mode the second they reached the warehouse. Focused and intense as usual, Dean was fingering his gun, bouncing up on the balls of his feet, anxious to start the hunt.

Sam gave him a firm nod, then watched as Dean began to walk towards the warehouse, that they had parked a ways away from so they didn't give away their presence with the sound of the Impala's engines.

He literally counted down the seconds till it was his turn to leave. Checking his gun one last time, Sam started towards the warehouse.

…...

Dean snuck forward, checking the warehouse room by room. He felt more on edge than he normally would during a hunt. They were the hunting _the _demon and it had set every fiber of his being on fire, waiting for the opportunity to act, to avenge their mother's death, their own destroyed childhoods.

"Why, hello, Dean."

_Oh crap._

…...

Dean circled his opponent, his gun ready and aimed, his finger screaming at him to pull the trigger. Not like it would do much good against a demon.

"How did you know we were coming?" Dean growled, trying to distract the demon long enough for his backup, Sam, to arrive.

The demon snorted. "Do you honestly think I wouldn't have methods of keeping an eye on the boy that I failed to kill all those years ago? The supposed 'threat' to us?" the demon laughed mockingly. "Samuel is no more than a child, sent to do a man's job. A mortal doing the work of a god. Special abilities or not, Samuel is not and will never be a threat."

Dean gave him a tight, challenging grin. "Spoken like a true demon: a failure who is too proud to admit it."

The demon scowled. "Arrogant hunter! Do you really want to challenge me? I could make your death painful, slow. I could make your brother watch as you slowly bleed together. Or, even better, I'll make _you_ watch as I torture your brother, destroy him, make him _scream_ and _beg_ for mercy."

Dean couldn't help it. He fired, three shots, aimed right between that stupid #%#$^#$#'s eyes. "Over my dead body." he snarled, visciously.

In the blink of an eye, the demon was holding a knife in each hand. "As you wish."

It threw the first knife, Dean managing to dive to the side to avoid it. The second knife was thrown and Dean had nowhere to go, no possible way to move fast enough to avoid it. _Oh no. Sam._ Was his final thought as he watched it speed towards him.

Then, suddenly, Sam was dropping down in front of him from goodness knew where.

"NO! SAMMY!"


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys! Sorry this has taken so long to write and post, but I've finally sat down and done it. :) I hope you enjoy it and PLEASE review! Thank you for all your wonderful reviews! :)

As he approached the warehouse, Sam fingered his gun nervously, trying to push away the fear he couldn't help but feel.

_We can do this. _He reminded himself once more.

He paused for an instant as he reached the door, spying the large vent to the side, an idea sparking in his mind. _I wonder..._

Climbing inside it, he followed the tunnels in the basic direction he believed the demon was in, hoping he wasn't too far behind Dean.

The sudden sound of voices alerted him to the fact that he had found the demon and the demon had found his brother.

"Do you honestly think I wouldn't have methods of keeping an eye on the boy that I failed to kill all those years ago? The supposed 'threat' to us?" The demon was laughing mockingly. "Samuel is no more than a child, sent to do a man's job. A mortal doing the work of a god. Special abilities or not, Samuel is not and will never be a threat."

_Excuse me? _Sam couldn't help but feel slightly offended by that. _Not a threat? Clearly, this demon hasn't been paying very close attention. Ironic that I'm standing above him, preparing to kill him and he pronounces me 'not a threat'. _

Blocking the conversation from his mind, Sam climbed silently out of the vent, realizing that he had come out up in the higher section of the room, on a bridge that crossed from one side of the room to the other, boxes piled every so often, the dust on the walkway and boxes testifying to the years that had passed since it had been used.

Moving forward steathily, Sam paused when he was standing above Dean, peering down and tuning back into the conversation as three shots were fired quickly and with perfect aim.

"Over my dead body." Dean snarled, rage dripping from every syllable he spoke.

"As you wish."

Sam held back a gasp as the demon produced two knives out of nowhere, throwing one at him, which Dean avoided, then throwing the other.

It took Sam mere seconds to realize that Dean had nowhere to move, no way to avoid the second knife and was moving before he was completely aware of what he was doing.

_Crap. Dean is going to kill me. _Was Sam's last thought as he dropped over the edge.

...

"NO! SAMMY!"

Dean dropped to his knees beside his prone brother, his hands roving aimlessly above his brother's body, looking for someplace to hold, someplace to begin trying to stem the blood that was already soaking Sam's shirt and the ground beneath them, the demon forgotten nearby in the wake of the overwhelming panic that filled Dean's mind, motivated his actions.

_No. No, no, no. NO! Please Sam. Don't...don't leave me. Please kiddo. Not after everything. Please, Sammy. Gosh, please. _

Yet some viscous part of Dean had to be honest. Without a miracle, the wound was definitely fatal. The nearest hospital was too many miles away to be of assistance- _Miracle. Castiel! _

"CASTIEL!" Dean screamed, hoping the angel was paying attention, would arrive in time. "CASTIEL! PLEASE CASTIEL!"

Dean held his breath for a moment, some vague part of his mind registering the sudden absense of the demon. Hope blossomed in his chest. _If the demon left, maybe Castiel is on his way... Hurry, Cas. Please hurry. _

Dean gathered Sam in his arms, hoping, praying that it wouldn't be too late, that Castiel would arrive soon. _He promised. He PROMISED, dang it! _

"Sammy. Hey, Sam, kiddo. Open your eyes. Stay with me, okay. I'll take care of you. You'll be okay. Don't give up on me now, kiddo. I was totally looking forward to watching you act like Jean Grey, dude." Dean was fighting tears now, the fight getting harder with every second that passed with no Castiel popping out to save the day.

Sam's chest was heaving now, his breathing forced and uneven. His glazed eyes opened a crack to look up at Dean. "Dean." he gasped, painfully. His body seized, stiffening for a moment as his breathing became ragged, then finally went limp, his eyes drooping and closing with a finality that brought tears to Dean's eyes. His body stilled, one final breath expelling from his lips and in the following moment of silence, Dean knew. _No. SAM! No, no. Please. No, no, no, nonononononononono... _

A sob tore from Dean as he buried his face in Sam's hair, his fingers clenching in Sam's shirt, stained with his baby brother's blood. He tried to speak Sam's name, as a final pleading to not leave him, to return to him, but it came out as a choked sob, a pained cry that would have torn at the heart of even the cruelest, hardest soldier.

"Sammy. Sammy, please." he finally managed to choke out.

Dean wasn't sure how long he sat there, sobbing into Sam's hair, soaking in Sam's blood, before the soft voice reached his ears.

"Dean. Dean."

Dean finally looked up, eyes widening slightly as he saw Castiel crouching down across from him, on the other side of Sam.

In the dark hole that had suddenly become his heart, Dean somehow still find enough emotion to be more ticked at Castiel than he had ever been at anyone before, even the demon. He finally understood the meaning of the phrase "I was so angry, I saw red".

"Where _were_ you? You said you would be here if we called and you _didn't come_ and now he's-"

Just like that, the emotion drained away. He buried his face back in Sam's hair, ignoring the angel that had shown up too late.

"Dean, if we hurry, I can save him. But you must loosen your grip on him a little."

Dean was moving a second later, pulling back from Sam enough that Castiel could reach in and touch two fingers to Sam's forehead.

Closing his eyes in concentration, Castiel breathed deep, just as Sam suddenly took a breath.

The knife was gone, the wound suddenly healed. Sam's eyes were fluttering open, his gaze landing on Dean immediately.

"Dean." he croaked, weak fingers grabbing onto Dean's t-shirt.

"Sam!" Dean managed, unable to stop the tears from flowing, pulling Sam into a fierce hug, Castiel moving aside just in time.

A bit later, Dean finally found the strength to pull away from his suddenly breathing baby brother. "Crap, kiddo. Don't you _ever_ do that to me again." He ordered, in an attempt to regain his dignity.

Sam chuckled. "Don't be so bossy, big brother. I'm not a kid anymore."

"You apparently have the mental capacity of one. Don't you know that jumping in front of a knife is a bad thing? It's like running with scizzors or playing with fire. You _just_ _don't do it_!"

"Oh, but I really wanted to play with the knife, Dean."

"No more, Sam." Dean was suddenly serious. "You can't keep doing this kind of crap to me."

"I'll do my best, Dean."

Castiel suddenly jumped in. "I apologize for the delay, Dean, Sam. I was in the middle of something important and could not get away immediately."

Sam threw Castiel a smile. "Thank you for coming, Castiel."

Dean nodded, unable to speak the words, but hoping that the angel would understand his gratitude anyway. Sam was alive, perhaps he could forgive the angel for being late. This once.

"Castiel, the demon said he knew where we were, that he has 'methods' of knowing where we are. Do you have any idea what he was talking about?" Dean questioned a moment later.

Castiel raised an eyebrow. "That is the business I was taking care of. You have had a demon trailing you for an extended period of time. Perhaps for years."

Castiel suddenly stood, giving them a pointed look. "Be careful. Call again if you are in need of my assistance."

And just like that, he was gone.

...

"We shouldn't have rushed in there without backup." Dean finally broke the hour long silence that had persisted since Castiel disappeared.

Sam nodded, grimacing. "I know. That's what I was just thinking."

"We aren't amateurs, we shouldn't be doing crap like that anymore." Dean suddenly snarled.

"Live and learn I suppose."

Dean shot Sam a dirty look. "We need to train. Both of us. You need to learn how to use your funky mojo stuff and I just flat out need to practice."

Sam nodded again. "Okay. When do we start?"

"Immediately." 


	3. Chapter 3

Hey all! Here's the next chapter! I hope you're liking the story so far and please review! I know this chapter is really short, but I didn't have as much planned for this chapter as I thought I did. The next one will be longer, I promise! And it won't take me nearly as long to post it, either... *sheepish face here*

By the way, sammynanci is translating my stories into spanish so if you know anyone or would prefer to read them in spanish, feel free to go to her profile and find them there (they will be there eventually, so patience may be required!). Thanks so much for reading!

* * *

The sharp crack of a gun going off would have startled any normal human being.

Lucky for Sam, he wasn't normal.

He dropped to one knee, twisting to face the surprise shooter. He tried to reach out with his mind, to stop the bullet before it reached him, but he knew within seconds that he had failed, that his mind was not responding to the call.

The bullet impacted the tree beside him, missing him by inches.

A loud sigh announced his big brother's aggravation. "I give you credit for your fast reflexes, Sam, but dodging the bullet isn't the _point_ of this exercise. You should be glad we're using blanks." Dean sighed. _**I **__should be glad we're using blanks. _

Sam rose, kicking at the leaves on the ground in irritation. "I don't know _how_, Dean. My mind just _does it_, I don't know how to control it. We've been at this for hours, days. Nothing I try works."

"Maybe you're doing it wrong."

"And how do you suggest I do it _right?_"

"Maybe you're thinking about it wrong. Try reaching out in a different way."

"_What? _What the heck does that mean?"

"Actually, Sam, your brother has a point."

The brothers froze, turning to look at the suddenly present angel standing nearby.

He looked amused by their fighting, an eyebrow raised. "When you reach out for the bullet, you think of it as physically stopping the bullet. Your focus is on the bullet. What would probably help is if you pictured an actual force, maybe even an actual hand, reaching out and _grabbing_ the bullet. Don't focus on the bullet, focus on the force you are using to stop the bullet. _That_ is probably what is stopping you from succeeding."

Intrigued, Sam turned to face Dean, who gave him a questioning glance. Upon his nod, Dean brought the gun up to aim at his baby brother and fired.

Sam reached out with his mind once more, trying to do as Castiel said. He hadn't even realized he had closed his eyes until he heard Dean's gasp. He opened his eyes to see the blank hovering inches from his chest. It fell to the ground as excitement and disbelief flooded his mind.

"I did it. Holy crap. I actually did it."

...

"Alright, Sam. Try again."

Sam grumbled, but looked over at the pile of rocks he had collected beside him. Doing again as Castiel had told him, he focused on grabbing the rock, on the force he would use to grab the rock. It came almost naturally to him now that they had been practicing so long.

The rock lifted, but a little warning sound in a distant corner of Sam's mind had his focus going elsewhere, his mind acting before most of him had any idea what was happening. The rock Dean had thrown at him hovered inches from his face.

"DEAN!"

"Oh, come on, Sam. Chill, dude! Just a little bit of fun..."

"You could have knocked my head right off my shoulders that not a pebble, it's a _rock_!"

"Be a good little Jedi and start stacking your rocks again, Luke."

"Star Wars? Seriously?"

"Don't make me go all Yoda on your butt, Sammy."

"Shut up, Dean, before you embarrass yourself any further."

...

"Boys! It's time for dinner! Get yer lazy butts in here!"

Dean looked up at Bobby's shout, motioning to Sam with one arm. "Come on, Sammy, let's go eat. I'm starved! We've been at this all day."

"I think I'm finally starting to get the hang of this, Dean. I mean, I've stopped the blank almost every time, I can control things, throw things." Sam shot his brother at dirty look. "I even stopped the rock you threw at me and that was just instinct, considering I _didn't know you were going to throw one_."

"Ah, come on, Sam, be a good sport. We all know a good knock in the head is good for you once in a while. Your freakishly big brain might get content if I don't do something unexpected every once in a while."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Whatever allows you to sleep at night, Dean."

...

Three weeks later, Dean was walking down the stairs early in the morning, thinking only of getting to his coffee before another day of practice (and before Sam did). Now that Sam was excelling at using his funky mojo (as Dean had taken to calling it), Dean spent a good portion of the day practicing his own skills, though granted they were a little more...normal than Sam's were. He wouldn't go so far as to call himself rusty, but he knew that it had done him good to get out and practice again.

As Dean entered the kitchen, a swelling feeling of triumph had him releasing a small, very quiet, "Ha!" under his breath. He had beat Sam to the kitchen and, thus, got the first, best tasting, coffee. He strode forward, already feeling more awake than he had.

That's when he felt his feet lift up off the floor. "Hey!"

Sam's laugh echoed through the kitchen. "Too slow."

"You're cheating! I was _totally_ here first! Put me _down_!" Dean growled, feeling his stomach doing flip flops at the height Sam had raised him to. He was high enough up that Sam, his freakishly tall baby brother, could walk underneath him towards the coffee cup. He picked it up, eyeing Dean as he inhaled deeply, enjoying the scent of coffee that permeated the kitchen.

"#$%$, put me _down_! THAT IS SO MINE!"

Sam rolled his eyes, but set Dean back down on the floor. A twinkle of amusement sparked in his eyes, reminding Dean strangely of their dad, long before he had become the hard soldier he was today, when he had a lot of reasons to laugh, to tease.

Dean hoped dearly that Sam never lost that, like his dad had.

To Dean's surprise, Sam suddenly shoved the coffee cup in his hand. A patient, brotherly affection was almost hidden in his gaze as he grinned, "Just wanted to show you I could get there first, Dean."

Dean felt strangely touched by that, as he sipped his warm coffee.

...

"It's time, Dean. I'm comfortable with my abilities, can use them fairly easily. We need to start hunting again."

Dean nodded, memories of the last few weeks flashing through his mind. His brother's powers were frightening, almost awe-inspiring to him (though that was nothing he would ever actually say _out loud_). He knew Sam was ready. It was time for a test drive.

"Let's hit the road then."


	4. Chapter 4

Hi! Hope you enjoy the chapter! Thanks for reading and please review! :)

I'm heading back to school, but I tend to write more while I'm there. It's kinda weird...hopefully the next chapter won't take long and I PROMISE it will be longer than this! I've been packing and saying my goodbyes for the last week, so I haven't had much time for writing, but I've finally managed to find some time to write... Anyway, please enjoy and review! :)

* * *

"Sammy. Sammy! Come on, kiddo. Nap time is over." Dean's worried voice broke through the dark fog that seemed to have fallen over his mind.

Sam's eyes flickered open. As he met Dean's gaze above him, he offered his brother a small half-smile. "We have a second chance, but we have to move quickly."

...

Sam looked around at the small group of hunters gathered in the motel room. Dean, his dad, Bobby, and Pastor Jim, all looking worried and curious. He hadn't told any of them what he had seen. He wasn't sure he wanted too. As much as he wanted a second chance at taking revenge, what he saw scared him. Were they prepared to deal with the horrors ahead of them? Surely their luck would run out eventually.

Shaken from his thoughts by Dean clearing his throat, Sam looked over at his big brother.

"What did you see, Sammy?"

Sam took a deep breath, then nodded. "The demon has something called the Colt. It's a gun that will kill anything, even demons. But it does more than that. It's...It's a key."

Dean looked suspicious. _I don't think I want to know. _But he asked anyway. "A key? A key to what?"

"The gate to ****. The demon wants to release more of those #^#$^#$. And I know how to stop him."

Sam was leaving something out. Dean didn't know what, but there was something. What Sam saw was bothering him more than he was letting on. _I don't like it, but I'm not going to press him yet._

...

Dean braked the Impala, pulling up along the side of the road, glancing in the mirror to see that the others had done the same thing. Dean turned the car off, but didn't move from his seat.

Sam glanced at him, then stared out the front window, as if knowing what was on his brother's mind.

"This is it, Sammy. All of these years of hunting, everything we've been through..." Dean didn't seem to know what to say, falling once more into silence.

Sam glanced over at his older brother again and suddenly knew what he wanted to say. _If this is the last thing I say, I want it to be meaningful_. "You know, Dean, through all of the crap that's happened, you've always been there for me. The visions, the new powers that seem to crop up every other day...the hunters, the demons, even the angels. You're always there. You're my best friend. I owe you more than I could ever pay back. You've always had my back and now you're going to fall me into a battle against **** itself, still protecting me. I...I love you, Dean." It wasn't a sentiment they shared very often, if at all, but it was a strong bond that existed nonetheless. _If what I saw...actually happens? I want him to remember this moment. I want him to know. _

Dean looked shocked. "Well...what the heck am I supposed to say after that?" The half-hearted joke wasn't entirely unexpected. What he said, softly but audibly, afterwards, was, however. "I love you too, kiddo."

A sharp knock on the window brought them back to the moment. John stood there, watching them, clearly wondering what they were doing. Dean nodded, holding up a finger to indicate they just needed another moment. John stepped away again with a nod.

Once they were again alone, Dean reached over and pulled Sam into a hug. "Let's go finish this."

...

Collecting the weapons they would need from the trunk, Dean slammed the lid closed, then turned to face the other hunters. "Ready."

Pastor Jim gazed upon each of them. "May God be with us."

Bobby looked towards the cemetery with a grimace. "We're gonna need Him."


	5. Chapter 5

Hey all! Here's the next chapter! Just one more to go after this! Enjoy and please review! :)

* * *

Sam took a careful step forward, the howling wind hiding their footsteps in the dead leaves covering the ground. A storm was brewing, lightning flashing above their heads. _A perfect night for a battle to the death. _Sam thought darkly. _Just our luck. The wind died down._

A man stood in the middle of the cemetery, placing the powerful Colt in the key hole it belonged in. Right before he turned it, he stiffened, pausing in his movements. The man they saw wasn't the one they expected. The dark-skinned, dark-haired man turned at the sound of their footsteps, eyes widening at the sight of them.

Sam was the only one of the hunters that didn't seem surprised.

"Who are you?" Dean couldn't resist asking.

"Who are _you?_" the man returned, sounding suspicious. Then he paused, looking closer at Sam. "Oh my...You're Sam Winchester."

Sam did look surprised now. "Yeah." he responded shortly, a feeling of dread welling up in his chest.

A flick of the man's hand had all of the hunters suddenly frozen in their tracks. All except Sam. The man looked shocked at first, then anger filled his face. "So it's true. You are the angel's pet."

"Like you have room to talk. You're the slave of a harsher master than mine."

"I have powers beyond any you could imagine."

"That are totally useless against me. I'm afraid neither of us have the power to destroy the other, Jake."

"How do you know my name?" Jake asked, outraged.

Sam gave a humorless grin. "Visions."

Jake snorted. "So you know my name. What good does that do you? I served in the marines, there's no way you could match me in a man-to-man fight. Sorry, kid, but you're dead unless you leave right now."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "See, there's one nice thing about these visions. They warn me about things to avoid, like, say, a falling tree?"

Jake wheeled around, leaping to the side as lightning struck the tree next to him and it fell, narrowly missing him.

"Clever, Sam." he snarled.

Jake looked up at the storm above them, then a nasty grin spread across his face. Closing his eyes, Sam could _feel_ the air shift around them, could feel Jake using his powers and he suddenly knew what was going to happen. _Crap._

An explosion of light just in front of him threw him backwards, slamming him hard into the ground. _Stupid lightning._

Sam was moving before he could really think about it, reaching for the knife tucked in his boot and yanking it out, scrambling to his feet and running forward. _I know how this is going to end. I just have to follow what I saw. Even though... Don't think about that. _

Jake was already moving towards the door, his hand touching the colt and, sending a jolt of fear through Sam's gut, turning it.

It was too late for Jake though. Sam was there a second later, his knife buried up to the hilt in Jake's chest. Jake gave him a wide-eyed look, the life draining from his eyes. Sam didn't have time to dwell on how he felt or the horror that was already welling up in his chest. _I killed him. Oh, gosh, I killed him. Later. Later, I can do this later. _

Casting Jake's body aside, Sam felt a powerful, dark force pushing against him. He ground his heels into the ground, slowing down his slide backwards until he finally stopped, his hands outhrown.

The gate was slowly opening before him, awful screams, like Sam had never heard before, resounding through, a terrible heat following the sounds. A black cloud was racing from inside towards the door. _Demons._ Sam took a deep breath. _This is it._

"SAMMY!"

_Dean. _Now that Jake was dead, the others had been freed from the frozen state Jake had left them in and he could hear them running towards him, but it wouldn't be fast enough.

The black cloud reached the door, but froze in their stampede forward, impacting a sudden invisible barrier over the gate's opening.

Sam grunted in pain with the impact, his entire body jerking, though his concentration remained strong. _I can do this. I can do this. _

"Sammy? Sammy, what are you doing? Holy crap...Sammy." Dean's voice sounded right next to him now, panic underlying in his tone, a gentle hand placed on his shoulder.

"Dean..." Sam finally managed. He had never been in this much pain. Not all of the visions combined could compare with the agony flowing through his veins, the fire that tore through him with every impact the demons made against his barrier. Something...his own strength, God's help, or perhaps just plain old Winchester stubbornness...refused to let him give in to it. The strain showed in his voice, in each syllable that was spoken. "Door...close...the door..." As much as Sam didn't want to seem weak, he couldn't help the last final word. "..._please_..."

Dean was silent for only an instant, taking in the strain in each of Sam's words, the tenseness of every single muscle in his baby brother's body, before he finally squeezed Sam's shoulder gently and nodded. "Just hold on, Sam. We'll close it. It'll be okay."

John, Pastor Jim, and Bobby were already heading towards the doors, Dean catching up with them a moment later. John and Dean took one side, Pastor Jim and Bobby taking another and the four men pushed as hard as they could, straining and grunting with exertion.

"Come on. Come on. Come _on." _Dean grunted, his mind dwelling on his baby brother that was suffering nearby, struggling to keep back the forces of ****. _Alone. Crap. Come ON!_

Meanwhile, Sam wasn't sure how much longer he could last. The demons were massing against the barrier now, thousands of them pushing and slamming against it, and it was taking its toll. He could feel blood pouring from his nose, mouth, and ears, coating his skin. Another wave of pain slammed into him and he became aware of a vague redness across his vision now and with horror realized that his eyes were bleeding too. Strained whimpers were pulling from him now and he knew he was almost at his end. _Dean...gosh, Dean, I need help. _

Dean felt panic build in his chest, struggling to ignore it, but unable to banish it completely from his mind. He could hear the strained whimpers behind him and his knuckles turned ghost white as he pushed even harder. _Hold on, Sammy. Hold on. Come on, kiddo. _Dean groaned visciously as he tried harder to get the door to move, but nothing was budging. _Dang it!_

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder and he twisted his head in surprise. _Castiel. _

"Go to your brother, Dean."

He didn't need any more encouragement. He let Castiel take his place and ran towards his baby brother, skidding to a halt beside him. He stiffened as he laid eyes on him. "Oh... Oh my... Sam. Sammy. Kiddo." _Blood. There's blood everywhere. _Dean finally moved forward, wrapping an arm around Sam's waist to support him, the other one coming up and ever so gently trying to get some of the blood out of Sam's eyes. "Hey kiddo. I'm here. I'm here. Just hold on."

_Dean. Oh gosh. Dean. _Sam easily could have burst into tears at the sudden arm around his waist, at the gentle soothing words.

With his brother at his side, Sam knew he had to hold on. He had a reminder now, something that could push past his agony and show him _why_ he was doing this. He had a reason to fight. _Dean. _

With a mighty groan, the doors finally swung shut and Sam, finally, slumped backwards, releasing the barrier. Dean was barely fast enough to catch him, grabbing onto him with a hurried, "Whoa. Take it easy, Sammy. It's okay. It's over. It's over."

_I wish it was. _Sam thought. His head rested against Dean's chest, Dean quietly straining to hold his heavy brother up, without complaining. He could feel the blood's flow beginning to slow down his face, but the feeling of it coating his skin made him feel utterly sick. _Probably a good thing I have a strong stomach._

Sam glanced around suddenly, sure he had heard Castiel, but the angel was nowhere to be seen. A light touch to his shoulder by an invisible hand told him what he needed to know. _Thanks Cas. _The angel had moved on, but at least he had been there when it counted. _It's up to me to finish this now. Please let me have the strength. _

Dean frowned down at his baby brother, at the clear weakness, exhaustion, pain, that he saw there. Before he could even open his mouth to ask Sam if he was okay, he felt a sudden jerk to his body and he was flying backwards. _Not again._

Sam crumpled to the ground instantly without his brother holding him up and in an instant he knew. _He's here._

"Well, well. Look who it is. Long time no see, Sammy." Yellow eyes flashed, a false smile spreading across an all too familiar face.

_It's time. _


	6. Chapter 6

Hey guys! Thanks so much for all of your wonderful reviews! Here is the last chapter of this story! I've been getting so many requests to continue this series, that I think I'm going to try to come up with another story to add to this series. If you have any suggestions or anything you want to see happen, please tell me and I will definitely take it into consideration! Thank you for reading! :)

* * *

"So, the warrior of God has finally decided to come forward, to do something _useful_. After that mess at the warehouse, I wondered if perhaps the angels had been mistaken. Perhaps spent too much time in those clouds. But it seems I underestimated you. Here you are, ruining my plans, getting in my way."

A darkness seems to settle around the demon, seen by all. Only Sam could feel the power that the darkness held. Only he knew what it meant for him. _Please give me strength to do this. _He had seen this. He knew this was going to happen. But seeing it and experiencing it? So different.

The darkness seemed to strike Sam hard and instantly Sam screamed, pain tearing through him. It felt like every cell in his body was exploding within him, every drop of blood was draining from him with each pump of his heart, his lungs were shriveling up, knives were piercing through his mind, his muscles were shredding with every breath he took.

No vision would ever be able to accurately portray this...this level of suffering.

The demon finally stopped, grinning nastily at Sam's curled body, still trembling, the pained gasps that were torn from him.

Sam could hear Dean screaming for him in the background, panic and horror clear in his tone.

"After your mother thwarted me in my attempt to kill you, I decided to start my own army. Gather my own followers that by sheer number alone would be able to defeat the so-called warrior of God."

There was another blast of agony that instantly pulled a scream from Sam, his body jerking and writhing. It cut off a moment later.

"I knew that you were coming."

Another blast of pain that almost instantly cut off, pulling a sob from Sam. He wasn't sure he could take much more.

"And you knew too didn't you? Your vision showed you much. You knew that you were going to stop Jake. You knew that I was coming." the demon paused, glancing over at the other listening hunters with a cruel grin. "And you knew that you weren't going to survive. You knew that, at last, I would be the one to kill you. Don't you just love the irony? The brave warrior of God goes to his death at the hands of the one who had failed so many years previously. It was foolish of you to come, Samuel."

...

Dean couldn't remember a time he had had so many emotions going through his head. Anger at Sam. _How could you still come when you knew...how could you not warn us, tell us what you saw? _Despair. _Sammy. Please. Please Sammy. Don't...don't leave me. Please. How many times do I have to lose you? You die this time, Sam, and I'm following you. That's a promise, little brother._

...

"I...I knew that I was going to die. But...but I knew that it was for a good cause. That by my death, you would be defeated."

The demon's eyes flashed black, anger clear by the twist of his lips.

The blackness the demon had gathered struck Sam again. Screams rang through the cemetery, seemingly emphasized by the lightning that struck the ground again and again with tremendous crashes.

...

Dean struggled against the invisible hold on him, desperate to get to his little brother. He had _never_ heard Sam scream like this, never heard his strong little brother let loose, give in to the pain. That alone let Dean have an idea of how much Sam must be suffering. Dean knew that no matter how this night ended he would have nightmares for the rest of his life about this moment. Trapped, helpless, forced to listen to his baby brother, the reason he existed – his purpose in life, scream himself hoarse. _No more. Please I can't listen anymore. Please. Sammy. _

...

The ground was beginning to shake beneath them. The longer Sam's screams lasted, the longer he suffered, the worse the storm seemed to get around them. It took John longered than he thought it should have to realize that it was Sam's suffering that was causing the physical devastation around them.

The headstones began to crack, tipping over and breaking with the force of the ground trembling and shaking. The trees were toppling over with tremendous crashes, even the strongest trees were cracking and splitting. The wind howled and screamed. The lightning was striking the ground faster and faster, the bright flashes of light overwhelming and blinding and loud, yet still not enough to block out his youngest son's screams. They seemed almost unearthly now in their intensity and in the way they carried even over all the noise of the Earth being destroyed around them.

...

Dean was startled when something bumped his hand. He managed to glance down enough to see that the colt, lying forgotten on the ground a ways away for some time now, had suddenly appeared beside his hand. Then Dean knew. _Sammy. That's my boy. _

He struggled to lift his hand enough to grab it, to do _something, anything_, to save his brother, to kill the demon. He couldn't. _I'm sorry, Sammy. I'm so sorry. The demon is just so powerful..._

_Sam trusts me. _The thought hit Dean like a speeding train. _Sam trusts me enough to save him, to kill the demon. Otherwise, he would have sent the gun to dad or even Bobby or Pastor Jim. He trusts __**me**_**, **_he needs me. I won't let him down. I can't let him die. I __**won't.**_

Dean gritted his teeth and struggled against the overwhelming powers that held him to the ground and, slowly, inch by inch, he felt his hand lifting off the ground, then landing on the hilt of the gun. Raising it was even harder.

_COME ON! Sam's counting on you! MOVE IT!_

Dean raised the gun, aimed, then...pulled the trigger.

The noise of the gun going off was almost hidden in the chaos going on around them, but the demon still looked up. Just in time to get a bullet between his eyes. Blue lightning crackled around the demon's now frozen body and Sam's jerking body went limp just as the demon fell to the ground, finally, _finally_, dead.

The Earth went still. The silence was deafening, the damage overwhelming. No one dared move in the shock of the sudden silence.

The spell only lasted a second. The force holding Dean down was gone and he scrambled to his feet, anxiously dropping to his knees beside his baby brother only a second later.

Sam's eyes were drooping, his body still shaking, trembling. Blood covered his face. His hands twitched and it only took Dean a second to realize that Sam was trying to lift them, trying to grab onto him, but was unable to find the strength. _Oh my..._

He gently gathered Sam in his arms. Despite the years that had passed, the size that Sam had grown to, Dean found the kid still fit just right in his arms. It was where he would always belong. By his brother's side. _Please Sammy. Don't take that away from me. Don't leave me. _

"Sammy."

Dean gently used his overshirt's sleeve to wipe the blood away from Sam's face as best he could.

"Sammy?"

Sam was barely breathing, his eyes beginning to drift closed.

"No. No, don't you dare. You don't get to do this to me again. I can only lose you so many times, kiddo. Stay awake, Sam." Dean hesitated, then added softly, "_please. Sammy please._"

Sam's eyes drifted up to Dean at the "please". Dean felt the slightest of pressure on his arm from Sam's attempt at comfort, before Sam's eyes drifted closed.

A moment of panic had Dean checking Sam's pulse, but he was relieved to find it. Sam was alive. For now at least.

"We need to get him to a hospital." John was saying, when Dean tuned back in to the conversation of the hunters behind him.

"No. A hospital won't do him any good. That kind of torture isn't really physical. Sam is weak, but not physically injured. Only he can pull himself through this. They can't help. We can take him to my house. Let him...let him recover there." Bobby's voice now.

Dean found himself agreeing with Bobby. There was no way he was letting go of Sam now. A hospital would take Sam away, would limit him to visiting hours. _Not happening._ "No hospital."

Dean gathered Sam in his arms, then stood with a grunt. _What have you been eating, Sammy? You need to stop growing. Any day now. You're already taller than me, Sasquatch. How am I supposed to carry you out of dangerous situations after you do something stupid when you are so freaking big? _

Dean sighed, but managed to walk right past the staring hunters and get to the Impala. He laid Sam down in the passenger seat, manuevering the kid so his head was resting on Dean's lap. It wasn't the most comfortable position, but Dean just couldn't bring himself to put Sam in the back. Even that was too far away.

_I just want to be able to check his pulse. That's it. Of course it is. _Dean wasn't fooling himself. But darned if he wasn't going to try anyway.

...

Dean drove along the highway, checking every couple of hours to be sure that his dad, Bobby, and Pastor Jim were still following.

He glanced down at his baby brother with a sigh.

"Why you, Sammy? It's always you. It's like the entire power of **** is constantly directed against you. How can we win against that?" Dean suddenly smiled wryly. "Well, I suppose we did. Gosh. We defeated **** today, Sammy."

Dean instantly sobered.

"There's still so much against you. I swear, Sammy, it's like there's a line. Heck, kiddo, ****'s taking numbers. _'Whose next against the Winchesters? We're even taking bets on how long they're going to go without a fatal injury this time!'_ Heck, maybe their doing an auction too. This is getting ridiculous."

_Hey, humor's good. Humor means I don't have to think about how bad this is. Oh, right, __**not**__thinking about how close this was, about how close it __**still**__ is. Dang it, Sammy. _

...

It was touch and go for longer than Dean was prepared to deal with. He refused to leave his brother's side, unsure if his aching heart could even handle it. The second Dean let go of Sam's hand, he just _knew_ what was left of his sanity would slip away, never to be found again.

John was exasperated, but stopped trying to pull Dean away from a waning Sam's bedside after a knife embedded in the wall two inches from his face. Dean hadn't even been looking at him at the time and that's when John decided that a strategic withdrawal was in order. Dean was pretty much left alone after that. He took care of all of Sam's needs, pretty much refusing to accept anyone else's help.

However, after a week, it began to pay off. Sam's health began to improve, his color slowly returning.

It was when Sam woke up, though, that Dean felt his hope return.

"Dean."

"Sammy."

Sam winced as he tried to adjust his position. Every muscle was screaming at him, even muscles he didn't know he had. "Crap."

"Take these." Dean handed him three white pills.

"What are-"

"Muscle relaxants."

"How did you-"

"Oh, please, Sammy, I've been taking care of you since the day you were born. I know you better than anyone else. I can tell that your muscles are sore."

Sam hid a smile by taking the pills with a huge gulp of water.

Dean sighed and Sam sobered, sensing that something heavy was on Dean's mind.

"Sam. I'm very proud of you. You saved the world, kiddo, and you did us all proud."

_Wow. _That definitely wasn't what Sam was expecting.

Dean's face took on a grim look, more serious than Sam could ever remember seeing him. "But if you _ever_, _ever _hide the details of a vision from me again, especially details that have to do with injuries to you or your...your death, I don't know if I will ever be able to forgive you." Dean grabbed a hold of Sam's shirt, pulling him gently but firmly closer. "Do you understand me, Sam? I can't do this again. Don't you make me do this again. You tell me _everything_ you see from now on."

Sam saw the agony in Dean's eyes, saw how much the last week or two had hurt him and knew that he wouldn't be _able_ to do this to Dean again, promise or not. Sam nodded firmly. "From now on, I'll tell you everything, Dean. I promise."

Dean hesitated a moment, looking for the truth in Sam's eyes, before relaxing, lowering his little brother back to the bed. "Okay, then."

...

"What do you want to do now?"

The question was one that Dean had been expecting for a while now. Sam was getting antsy, to say nothing of his older brother who was climbing up the walls, and Dean knew that it was time to make a decision.

The demon was dead. Their quest for vengeance was over. Was it time for hunting to be over too? They could go have their apple pie lives, white fence, beautiful wife, 2.5 kids, a dog, and a partridge in a pear tree.

Dean couldn't say that he didn't long for some peace, but...he just wasn't sure that life was for him. However, he always knew what certain little brother his life would always revolve around.

"What do you want to do, Sammy?

Sam hesitated, looking down at the floor, deep in thought. "The demon is dead. Mom's been avenged." he said quietly.

Dean nodded.

"But I still have my powers." Something changed in Sam's voice, something that told Dean the kid had reached a decision. "I still have a responsiblity..._we_ still have a responsibility to use them."

Sam suddenly turned and blasted his older brother with a full-force-dimples-and-all grin.

_Crap, how do you turn off the brights on that thing? That's gotta be illegal._

"Besides, I don't think I was really cut out for the apple pie life anyway."

Dean offered his brother a small smile, nodding firmly. _Me neither._

"Well, then. Sounds like we have work to do."


End file.
